Is There Any Hope? The Strangest Hangover Cures and What Actually Works

With all the technological and medical advancements that grace our great society, for some reason no scientist has tackled the gold mine of the hangover cure to end all hangovers.

One theory is that scientists got together evil Dr.Frankenstein-style and unanimously decided that if young students going back to class this month drink themselves into oblivion, it’s their obligation to feel like absolute crap the next day as punishment for their indulgent and irresponsible behaviour. The shame of what you said about your mate’s new girlfriend doesn’t cut it. Students must experience extreme, crippling pain – otherwise how will they ever learn?

Either way, the hangover doesn’t distinguish based on age, sex, class, social status or haircolour. Hangovers, with all the headache, nausea, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and all encompassing feeling of dying is caused by… well we’re not quite sure. Scientists are unable to link all of the hangover symptoms to concrete medical conditions, be they low blood sugar, dehydration, inflammation, release of harmful chemicals in course of processing the alcohol or withdrawal. In the absence of scientific consensus, alcohol-consuming cultures around the world claim to have found THE hangover cure.

Prairie Oyster will haunt your hungover dreams

Some cultures opt for strong liquids to cure their hangovers. In China you’ll be advised to sip strong herbal tea to calm the stomach. Koreans drink warm water mixed with honey to regulate the raging blood sugar levels. In southern Europe, Italians and Spaniards are known to consume massive pots of coffee (which it’s argued to actually have the reverse, dehydrating diuretic effect).

Americans also sip away on the Prairie Oyster; a potent medley of one raw egg yolk mixed with a hefty portion of tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce seasoned with salt and pepper…..Yeah I’d probably forget I had a hangover for a minute too. And it probably helps induce vomiting if you’re at that sad stage in your hangover.

Tripe Soup? Yes Please

Moving into foods, it doesn’t get much better. The Polish recommending holding down some pickled cabbage soup while the Germans and many Scandinavians also opt for the sour route with herrings soaked in vinegar, washed down with raw onion. The Japanese on the other hand consume pickled plums to nurse their wounds.

As tripe is full of beneficial protein, there’s lots of cow stomach-eating to be had in the painful quest to cure the pesky hangover. Romanians, Mexicans, Greeks and Hungarians (just to name a few) all opt for a variation on tripe soup, often with extra pickled-something.

The Hair of the dog

And if all else fails, there’s always a strong following across the world for the hair of the dog. If you wake up hungover as hell, take two shots of vodka, a cigarette and one more shot of vodka – rejoice, it’s science! It may sound like an attempt to get yourself drunk to forget the pain (the hangover mostly, but your other problems too). However:

‘…the liver, in processing alcohol, first addresses itself to ethanol, which is the alcohol proper, and then moves on to methanol, a secondary ingredient of many wines and spirits. Because methanol breaks down into formic acid, which is highly toxic, it is during this second stage that the hangover is most crushing. If at that point you pour in more alcohol, the body will switch back to ethanol processing.’ – Joan Acocella, The New Yorker

So basically this delays the the worst part of hangover and lessens the hangover when it comes back around the second time, but don’t you go thinking the hangover won’t come back to haunt you. Once the alcohol blood level gets back to zero, Mr. Hangover knocks on the door. Hair of the dog is only recommended for the hardest of the hard.

The Verdict on Hangovers

So what’s the consensus on all these so-called hangover cures? Well the verdict is: that none work and water is your only true friend : (

But don’t lose hope! There is a not-so-cure cure involved in each of these recipes for quelling the light-headed dizzy feeling, something each of them have in common: an element of distraction. Eating super sour pickled herring and drinking a tomato-yolk milkshake has such extreme (and let’s be honest, gross) flavours, they distract the sad hungover soul for some time. Hopefully enough time for the body to finish processing what’s left of the remains of the alcohol, or at least offer a few moments of respite. Above all, re-hydrate. Re-hydrating, whether by sports drinks, coconut water or simple H20 is the single most important and helpful thing you can do for your hangover.

The hungryhouse hangover tip?

So Brits have it pretty good when it comes to a delicious and comforting hangover ‘cure’. Comfort food like a juicy burger with extra chips or a steak pie is comforting, tastes pretty delicious and has the effect of distracting you for a few minutes while you bask in the glory of delicious takeaway food.

Eating tasty food is linked to the hypothalamus – the part of the brain that recognises pain and pleasure, and we all know you should have something in your belly after a night of heavy boozing soooooo there’s no reason why you need to feel an ounce of guilt tucking into a juicy burger with extra cheese or a massive pizza after a long night on the sauce. I kid not: guilt is actually linked to making a hangover worse.

In fact, eating a burger or a meatasaurus pizza is actually a better hangover prevention measure, but if you thought hard enough about how to prevent a hangover, you’d probably stop after that fourth whiskey. But no one’s perfect after all.

What About Your Own Hangover Cure? Win £25 for Your Pain!

So now we’re interested, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried to cure a hangover? Did it work? The best answer gets a £25 hungryhouse voucher because it’s the least we can do for a bad hangover : )

Update: And the winner is: Anthony! His response “russel up some pancakes with grilled bacon and honey then BOOM! My day is sorted ;)” was randomly selected and he’s the proud winner of a £25 voucher. Thanks for sharing the wisdom everyone, and special congrats to Anthony.

hungryhouse

Gastrolyte – if you can get past the sweet/salty thing (without feeling sick) amazing…. even better if you can sneak one in before you pass out.

Marc

A twister ice lolly and packet of prawn.cocktail spirals. Works every time.

Laura

I lie down in a boiling hot shower for a couple of hours…..sometimes even nap. It’s amazing.

Kristy

Ribena and a long, long bath. It usually works, although last week I had to get out of the bath for a bit so I could be sick.

Polly-Anne Gibbs

I went on the Saw Ride at Thorpe park after a heavy night of drinking. Having thrown up in a bag in the queue (I’m classy I know) I wasn’t looking forward to the actual ride…. Surprisingly, I felt so much better after I’d been on the ride! Best hangover cure. Ever. (Not for the faint-hearted).

Paul Grayson

I stopped drinking, how weird is that??

Victoria Bennett

I make an eloctrolytes drink before bed (1 part citrus juice, 1 part water and a little salt) and also in the morning- as well as a banana by my bed for sugar in the morning if its pretty bad! fizzy ginger beer really calms my head and stomach too. I also make sure I’ve got ingredients in for a lovely roast dinner the day after the night before- knowing theres a lovely roast to look forward to takes my mind off things for a while- and especially important to try and make sure the other half will be there to make it for you whilst you watch the soap catch up and gorge on bananas!

Ashleysg

My hangover cure;
1. Throw up
2. Down a pint of water
3. Stumble to the shop and buy a lucazade
4. Go and lie in the park
5. Get myself a subway ( with loads of salad)
6. 1hr nap.
HANGOVER OVER!

Renate Kriegler Edwards

swear by chips + curry sauce :-)

Jade

Can of coke left open for an hr before hand and a bag of ready salted walkers!

The best cure for a hangover is to spend the day indoors in your pjs and order a takeaway from hungry house :)

Aimee

Black Aspirin aka can of coke and some migraleve!

Will_Pleasall_Birds

Have a hot shower, brush teeth, comb hair and other bathroom stuff. Put on some spanking clean clothes ideally still warm. Head straight to the greasy spoon for a full english breakfast and then have a little stroll if the weathers nice.

If it’s a really bad hangover head back home and tidy up any mess – clean kitchen / bedroom is cathartic. Now take 2 paracetamol or equivalent and some orange squash (not too sweet) and lie on (not in) your bed with knees propped up with a pillow.

Check your phone to dispel any niggling doubts about drunken messages, face up to your bank balance and now just lie still for as long as it takes maybe with a bit of TV. Don’t let anyone disturb you for 2hrs at least!

Pooterman Watkins 3rd

Find cow’s poo, cover an orange juice bottle with it, then drink whilst running nude in the street and between gulps singing the second verse of the National Anthem.

Christoffer Hødal

Red wine.

Sarah

Down a bottle of lucozade (the energy drink one) while laying on the floor (with your legs in the air or leaned upwards against something) then have a nap. It works,no word of a lie!!

Roy Nicol

Quite simply psych yourself up and the turn the shower on freezing cold, stand under it while eating a nice ripe banana. Also take a pint glass in with you and keeping topping up the glass with freezing shower water and consume at a fairly rapid speed. Do this for approximately 25-30 minutes and the feeling of freshness will return :)

Zed_Naught

Follow this step-by-step and you will be feeling no pain:

1) Sleep in. Don’t be a hero.
2) Avoid the coffee pot. Coffee is not your friend when your blood is the consistency of mucus.
3) Pour a glass of coconut water and OJ.
4) Pour another glass of coconut water and OJ.
5) Shower. It may sound horrific, but it helps.
6) Sorry, Hungry House, but avoid greasy, oily, heavy meals. 3 kg of Chinese food will feel like heaven going down, but you will pay for it. Have a banana, some soup, or cereal, oatmeal, gruel. Classier options may include Congee or Pho.
7) Put on a mindless movie. The more inane, the better. Preferably something comedic. Will Farrell is ideal.
8) Pour yourself a vodka bloody mary, a vodka and soda, or a vodka and vodka.
9) Repeat step 8 until you fall asleep.

Alex Fenwick

If you can keep balance, this is how I deal with it….

1) Come home from the night out and have a shower. It relaxes your muscles so you have a less tense sleep, meaning you’re more rested in the morning.
2) Down a pint of water with vitamin tablets.
3) Sleep.
4) Bacon Butty with brown sauce and a bottle of Powerade.
5) Box set of something or a trilogy of movies to power through

Hangover cured

Rebecca Green

The best hangover cure stay in bed with a nice glass of
pure orange an some co-codamals go back to
sleep then wake back up have a bath stomble bk to the bed
with a nice glass of thatchers they say wat makes you bad
makes you better

From the Greek Gods comes the nectar that washes away even the most mighty of hangovers, the divine liquor that is Chili Sauce. Make sure it is labelled liberally on thin strips of lamb doner meat, must be lamb, must be doner and preferably ordered from a back street Kebab House with a suspiciously short queue. All of the sauce must be consumed though not all of the meat as some is required to find glued to your forehead when you wake a little dazed the following afternoon but lacking the throbbing head of past outings into the hazy world of pub.

Set an alarm to wake you up 4 hours after you go to sleep.
Assuming that said alarm wakes you up, drink a full pint of fresh orange juice, the water and vitamins will replace fluids and sugars lost by the dehydrating affects of alcohol.
Go back to sleep for another 4 hours to get a full night’s worth of rest.
When you wake up, you should be without hang-over, if you still feel like you’ve jut dragged yourself out of the gutter, splash a little cold water on your face to trigger your body’s natural cold shock response as that gets the blood flowing, cooling you off and feeding your brain with much needed oxygen.
If symptoms persist, drink another pint of fresh orange and take a (one) paracetamol or ibuprofen tablet.
People will tell you that a hearty meal will always help, but in most cases it won’t, hang-overs are caused by dehydration, the best thing you can do is drink fluids and eat fruit.
Eating meats such as bacon (I know, we all love bacon) can increase the affects of dehydration due to the salt content.
If you want to eat, do it *before* you go out on the peeve!

SammieAnnika

Sleep in… Then go for a massive carvery and cover everything in horseradish sauce. Hair of the dog to finish it off. Always a winner! If that’s not possible, ice cold coca cola and chilli heat wave Doritos and hot salsa! :D

AMY

I find it not to have drink after my hang over

Orlene

Custard & sleep

GingerWarrior

Drink a pint of water and milk before bed to prevent a hangover! If your to drunk to remember to do that then the next day you need to Drink Lucozade by the gallon! And eat last nights left over Pizza!

Ged Lythgoe

Monster munch & Coke

Jones

Method; Drink yourself stupid but, never go straight to sleep no matter how wasted you are. One hour after your last alcoholic beverage, drink a cup of tea with sugar and eat two pieces of buttered toast- This rehydrates, replaces the salt and sugar, it also lines the stomach ready for two paracetamol with a pint of water then off to bed. Give it a go it never failed anyone that tried it.

Jessica

Our friends mum once told us drinking a raw egg floating in milk was the best cure for a hangover – soon discovered it most certainly is not… are eggs even meant to float…

Johnny

Wake up early, mix yourself a proper Bloody Mary-none of that ready-made stuff-make sure you get everything in there, worcestershire sauce, horseradish, tabasco, lemon juice, celery salt and pepper. No virgin, get the vodka in. Drink it and get out of the house for some fresh air and move on with the day! If that fails… Pizza delivery!

Liam Gilmartin

Dog food (pedigree chum for lnstance} sprlnkled with mashed up spicey nachos/pringles and washed down with sweet mango lassi really works. Don’t knock it until you try it.

Louise

Lucazade original and nuttella with the spoon and a comfy pillow it’s all good!

Margaux

Eat boiled eggs and avocado toped with lemon juice!

Paul L

It is all about the McDonalds Double Sausage and Egg Mc Muffin, 2 of these bad boys, a full fat coke and a hash brown and your right as rain again

Michaela

One time I thought hair of the dog literally involved eating hair of the dog. Obviously was disgusting and did not work.

Toni M

i usually drink 1 or 2 strong coffee’s at the end of the night, and cheesy chips with a donner kebab cant beat it :D wake up to 2 screaming babies and i feel like i could run a marathon haha

Rose Snape

I spend it locked in a dark room (My attic is my usual cave at this point) with a bottle a heir of the dog (what ever’s left over from the night before), a fry up in the morning, then I’ll look for the dodgiest chicken/takeaway shop I can find(Mainly because I’m too skint to afford anything else), and the the worst movies that have ever been made, that are so bad it’s funny.

Sheree

Well my cure is a big greasy english breakfast fry up from local cafe and a mug of coffee and if that doesnt work a greasy takeaway from the hungry house website always seems to do the trick haha oh and some loving care from my boyfriend os good aswell

Imo

Learned from a taxi driver in Barcelona – coffee americano + a brandy – within 30 minutes you are right as rain – just make sure you stop at the one!!!

Whopper

Cafe e copa – coffee and a brandy, plus loads of grease in the form of the full english. Keep drinking the water. X

Brian sidell

A good 40 mile cycle followed by a full English, don’t forget the water?!

Anthony Monaghan

I once ate a mosquito while in Africa one of the locals said that works… until i spat it out while they were laughing.. Knobs

EmmaH

As soon as I get up I finish last nights takeaway-usually a family sized pizza! so I know ill have enough for the morning! I then have around 5 cups of tea. Wait around an hour and force myself to get out of bed and in to the shower- this usually works, although sometimes I’m still feeling extremely shocking! I usually then try toast with tuna and cucumber! I always crave strange things when I’ve been drinking the night before! So whatever I manage to find I force myself to eat. If all fails..get back on the beer!

nicv

Rice in a big bowl of tom yam soup never fails to cure my hangover. Word of caution, not for the faint hearted!

Mark

A pint of water, followed by copious cups of coffee, then scrambled eggs and bacon with bubble and squeak . Lovely .

Fat coke & cold left over pizza. Works for me every time. So wrong but so right!

annakitty

Raw eggs with white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. I may have misheard it on tv though. Haha. Still worked :3

ash

Two raw eggs beaten in to two good measures of creme de menthe
take it down in one, you can add lemonade if you wish and /or use eggnog instead of raw eggs

Fran Conley

Bananas or Sportsdrinks-they contain potassium

Anthony

Russel up some pancakes with grilled bacon and honey then BOOM! My day is sorted ;)

jojo01

The only thing you need for a hangover is Berocca! Works a treat every time :)

kat

pink panther biscuits and pickled onion monster munch. Yes it worked :) and it’s a good comfort food while remembering the night before ha!

tigermeow

eating lots and lots of yummy fruit in bed all day :)

Chris

Pizza & codeine

Janis Curry

Extra dark chocolate works a treat! My ‘eureka’ moment came the day after my birthday a few years back. I had overindulged to the point where all I couldn’t stand upright the next day and needed to resort to slithering along the ground to get around the house.

Somewhere along the way hubby reminds me I’ve promised to make 500 dark chocolate truffles for charity that day. The very thought!! So I struggled to my feet, trembling and nauseous, gripping the counter for dear life while I slowly stirred chocolate in a pan. Let me tell you – the thought it might separate and render my standing effort all for naught was enough to make me cry…

It melted. I licked the spoon. Presto. Magically cured in less than a second with a lick of 85% chocolate.
I now keep a very large stash of it in the cupboard for all such occasions :)

Lewis Friend

The best way to cure a hangover is to just down a bottle of Powerade or two, trust me.

Maria Socarras

Icy cold Cucumber water!! Winner!!

Tollan

Jalapeños and garlic sauce

Harry

None of the above peeps, just make sure you drink copious amounts of plain free running old fashioned water the night you get in, so long as you’re still conscious & don’t pass out. LoL :-)))

Claire

Flat coke/pepsi n sleep

Andy law

Fried egg sandwich with copious amounts of strawberry jam. Sounds plain nasty but works a treat and tastes scrummy as well.

Andrew Halliwell

Only ever had 2 hangovers, so lack experience in trying to deal with them. / just curled up in bed and wimpered.

Dim sum… So much dim sum you could sink a boat. Plus the spiciest chilli sauce you can imagine. X2

Brett

It’s always worse when it’s your missus that’s really hanging… cleaning up sick and all the rest… (imagine it) then ordering a takeaway to try counteract the ridiculousness that ensued the night before..

White Russian

You wanna know the best way to deal with a hangover? More alcohol guys! Simple biology. Body craves alcohol, you give it alcohol.

Mike

Bullshit.

chris

a full english at the local cafe :D

Macthorpe

I just have a cup of tea and some cookies. It may not cure the hangover but it makes me happier! I know it was rough one if I can’t handle the cookies. Woe betide the human race if I ever wake up unable to stomach the tea!

Paul Charlton

I made beans on toast toped off with a cheese omlette with Angosturas bitters mixed in with it.ate it on settee with a cup of drinking chocolate with marshmallows in half an hour later hey!presto hangover disappeared

Katie

Shower and bacon butty works every time for me

Marie

Lucazade, more sleep, if all else fails, hair of the dog.

vicky

Best hangover cure that actually works….2 berocca effervescent vitamin tablets and x 2 co-codamol effervescent tablets…all mixed in together…Works every time without fail…

Connor fenn

A pint of water and then order some food online on hungry house!

peter

after waking with your hangover, have a small glass of water, than some milk. and last of all 30mins sleep. all cured. ready for the next hangover.

There are a few effective cures Separated by category:
Weirdest: I have tried was Dill Pickles dipped in Franks Red Hot Sauce- This may induce vomiting- then drink lots of water and take an aspirin before passing out- This worked to an extent my stomach didn’t hurt too bad, but my throat and sinuses were burning from the hot sauce the night prior.
Most Effective: When I or anyone I know has an unfortunate hangover, years of practice have proven to me that sometimes though we need water our stomachs revolt. To solve this I drink several cups of 3 Ginger tea (this also contains a little Turmeric). This drink quickly settles the stomach, and in extremely unpleasant situations I include Ginger hard candies to suck on. Once the stomach is settled I continue with alternating this ginger tea and water. Once hunger sets in start slow with plain toast or crackers. -This works like a charm… But I also always take an aspirin before going to sleep.
Preventative Method/ Most Logical: Avoid getting drunk enough to develop a hangover.

everyplatewebreak

I have a proven trick for curing hangovers: set an alarm for an hour before you need to get up; put a pint of water and two paracetamol within easy reach; when the alarm goes off, take the paracetamol and drink the pint of water (you MUST drink the whole pint for this to work!); then go back to sleep for the rest of the hour; when you wake up, drink a can of Coke as quickly as you can. Try it – I promise it works!

bee

paracetamol before bed then, alka seltzers in the morning in a glass of coke with a bacon sandwich. works everytime

Gunar

sleep at open window – no hangover with warranty, to decrease level of alcohol in your blood at next day can consume some 50-80 grams of dark chocolate, no hangover just good mood smile and carry on :)

Craig Wilcock

A cup of green tea with a slice of cucumber in before I go to bed. Not had one hangover since I started doing this. I tried the not drinking lark but that just made me dehydrated.

Rockster

Half pint of larger as a chaser in the morning does work! But don’t drink too much or it won’t works.

Skylar Kelty

Spoonful of super hot chilli sauce drizzled over vanilla icecream, so good :3

EmJay

A bottle of Lucozade and a couple of bananas always works a treat for me!! It’s always good to get something greasy on your way home after a night out too but even if you can’t or don’t the Lucozade and bananas still always works the next day!

claire c

2 paracetamol, a coke and lots of bread and milk after

KK

A pint of water first thing followed by a full English fry up with coffee.

mat

eat a bowl of watermelon with greek yogart works

Julia S

There are many ways of getting over a hangover but I think it all depends on whether the hangover is from wine or spirits or just because you mixed all together. Us Russians have a saying “at first I drunk some vodka, then some beer, then a few shots of brandy, then a few glasses of wine but Im sick this morning because of food poisoning from the sandwich I ate after it all”
For some reason my body ( I am sure like many others) craves fatty and oily food, burgers, kebabs. But I tend to fight the crave and start with a Tomato juice and raw egg cocktail (two raw eggs, salt, pepper, cucumber and a lemon to a glass of pure tomato juice), then have water with a Vitamin C tablet, sparkling water with a lemon wedge and a lime goes down a treat too and keep to fresh and light food the whole day. Vitamin C top up is the most important thought as this one vitamin that alcohol drains you out from. The hair of the dog method has been used in the past though :)

Beth

won ton soup always sorts me out – hydrating and tasty

Stacey Sparkes

Mine is to make sure you drink a pint of water before going to bed.

bigjohn

drink more beer

c.stanley

lots of rest not to much fluids or food or loud noise

Nyxie

The answer is simple. Just finish off the kebab left over from the night before and wash it down with something sweet and fizzy. Works every time.

Craig Smith

Easy Don’t drink and no hangover

Adrian Lake-Muller

My hangover cure is easy drink a pint of water before you go to bed, when you get up the next morning have a banana and ice cream milkshake with real banana’s and a full English, it also help;s to have a couple of bottles of Irn Brew it doesn’t really help ya hang over but it tastes real good after that beer ape has done a S*%T in ya mouth while you;re asleep and no amount of teeth cleaning cures it